Aaron Pickens, Assistant Professor of Fine Arts and New Media, had two exhibitions in one featured in the Indiana University Kokomo Art Gallery on campus between Aug. 31 and Sept. 22. 

The exhibition, titled Split P, is a collection of works Pickens had been developing since he started working at IU Kokomo in Aug. 2019.  

“One of the reasons I entitled the show “Split P” was simply because my practice as a painter is comprised of extremes, which is akin to having a split personality as a creative/maker.” 

According to Pickens, the “Judgement Cray” series explores self-reflection and socio-political issues through lighthearted imagery—with toy-based portraits on the surrounding walls facing the centerpiece—a three-dimensional self-portrait effigy titled “Blockhead.”  

“The use of playful imagery–toys, primary colors, crayons–is intended to reinforce a feeling of inadequacy, and a child-like naivete when judged by others. This type of ridicule has become ubiquitous, especially if one has a point of view that deviates from the dogmatic positions held by many and institutions of authority.” Pickens said. 

More specifically, a lot of the work within the exhibition is based around Pickens’s criticism of how the COVID-19 pandemic was managed at the federal, state, and institutional levels.  

“The rhetoric on the topic was so divisive that any critique of these policies or differing perspectives was frequently met with vitriol–even in a setting that is intended for critical discussion such as a university.” 

Pickens felt that his work was an avenue for which he could subtly express his criticisms.  

As for the landscape paintings within the exhibition, Pickens feels that the medium allows for him to “rekindle” his observational skillsets through painting outdoors, where he physically draws and mixes colors.  

“Painting is not that dissimilar to exercise. You must routinely engage with it, otherwise, your ‘fitness’ with the discipline fades.” He said. 

Pickens was approached by the director of the campus gallery months before his work was featured, where he then spent a lot of his time preparing for the show in the Fine Art building’s woodshop creating frames for the landscapes and recent toy paintings—as he feels the presentation must be cohesive—for it can “make or break how the audience responds to the work.” 

For Pickens, the landscape plein air paintings provide an escape for him to experiment with his materials since the work is completed in one session within a certain time frame. He commented that the paintings are sometimes even a “byproduct” of the experience. 

In contrast, his toy-based painting are done in studio and are strategically executed. The process allows for Pickens to implement narratives and challenge his artistic capabilities.  

“I need the balance between both, otherwise, my creative output would likely become stagnate. The plein air paintings reinvigorate the toy paintings, and my toy paintings inform my landscape sketches. If I only did one thing, I would inevitably get bored.” 

Despite being admittedly nervous about sharing his work due to its critical nature regarding the pandemic, Pickens expressed positivity regarding both his exhibition and the fact that the campus gallery had returned. 

“I was excited to share my creative research with the rest of the IU Kokomo community, especially since the campus gallery is a beautiful venue,” Pickens said. “Hopefully, the show can act as an introduction to what I do as an artist and what I specialize in as an Assistant Professor at the university.”